Media Advisory
September 12, 2017
A Special Exhibit featuring the Legal History of Chinese American Women
Opening Reception, Saturday, September 23 at 3 p.m.
WHO: Santa Clara County Library District’s Cupertino Library in partnership with Dr. Chiu Chang
WHAT: An exhibit featuring rare photographs and case descriptions of the obstacles, hurdles and struggles endured by Chinese-American women to gain legal standing in the United States over the past 165 years. The exhibit offers a fascinating look into the lives of ordinary people who fought for equal treatment in the eyes of the law and for citizenship and immigration rights in America.
WHEN:
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 23 at 3 p.m.
Cupertino Community Hall (located next to Cupertino Library)Exhibit runs from September5 – October 27
Cupertino Library Main Floor Lobby
10800 Torre Avenue
Cupertino, CA95014
408.446.1677WHO: Opening Day Guest Speakers: Director Ma of TECO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco); Alissa Kim, grand-niece of Mamie Tape (1885 Tape v. Hurley case); and Felicia Lowe, daughter of Lettie Kam, a “paper daughter.” The term “paper daughter” or “paper son” refers to a person born in China who immigrates illegally to the United States through the purchase of fraudulent documents. These false documents identified the person migrating as a blood relative to a Chinese American citizen.
The Film Documentary: “Chinese Couplets" (A 2015 film by Felicia Lowe, 56 minutes.) will be shown immediately following remarks by guest speakers.
ABOUT: An exceptional look at Chinese-American women’s history, told through a collection of legal cases fought in the United States Supreme Court and the representative states. Showcasing the private collection of Dr. Chiu, the exhibit documents the written legal history of Chinese-Americans. Legal cases presented include the 1885 Tape v. Hurley case in which the California Supreme Court found the exclusion of a Chinese American student from public school based on her ancestry to be unlawful, ruling that Chinese-American children had a right to a public education. Documents and photographs featured in the exhibit provide a remarkable glimpse into how these legal cases helped shape the lives of Chinese-Americans. For additional library resources on Chinese-American history go to: http://bit.ly/HerstoryCU.
About the Santa Clara County Library District
The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) promotes knowledge, ideas, and cultural enrichment. Its collection includes more than 1.9 million books, videos, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, eBooks and extensive online resources accessible from home or work.
In 2014, SCCLD celebrated one hundred years of service to local residents. For the last several years, SCCLD has been consistently recognized as one of America’s Star Libraries by Library Journal. In 2016, SCCLD was ranked among the top ten large libraries in the United States in the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service. In 2014 and 2015, SCCLD won Innovator Awards from the Urban Libraries Council.
The Santa Clara County Library District includes two bookmobiles, an online library, seven community libraries and one branch library serving Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Saratoga and the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. In 2016, the Santa Clara County Library District had more than 270,000 library cardholders and welcomed 3.3 million visitors who borrowed 9.1 million items, making it one of the most used resources in the region. Visit Santa Clara County Library District online at www.sccl.org.
Contact:
Nancy Howe/Diane Roche /Lili Smith
Santa Clara County Library District
(408) 293-2326 ext. 3001/3080/3014
